New Jersey (NJ) Poll * October 1, 2009 * New Jersey Voters Not Too Worr - Quinnipiac University

Home> Institutes and Centers> Quinnipiac University Polling Institute> New Jersey (NJ)> Release Detail

October 1, 2009 - New Jersey Voters Not Too Worried About Swine Flu, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Media Reaction To Swine Flu 'Overblown,' Voters Say

Word format A total of 41 percent of New Jersey voters are "very worried" or "somewhat worried" that they or a loved one will get swine flu, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Another 58 percent are "not too worried" or "not worried at all."
New Jersey voters split 46 - 48 percent on whether they will be vaccinated for swine flu, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Women say 46 - 45 percent they will be vaccinated, but men say no thanks 51 - 45 percent.
But of the 34 percent of voters with children under 18 years old, 55 percent say they will have their children vaccinated. Moms say they will vaccinate 54 - 35 percent, while dads say they will vaccinate 56 - 31 percent.
By a 59 - 36 percent margin, voters say the media reaction to swine flu has been "overblown" rather than "justified."
But the government's reaction has been "justified," voters say 58 - 36 percent.
"Worried about swine flu, New Jersey? Not really. We might not get vaccinated but we'll make sure our kids do," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "It looks like more men are afraid of that little needle than women."
"Is reaction to a possible swine flu epidemic overblown? New Jersey voters think the government is behaving better than the news media."
A total of 69 percent of New Jersey voters are "very confident" or "somewhat confident" that state officials will be able to handle an outbreak of swine flu, while 29 percent are "not too confident" or "not confident at all."
By almost identical numbers, voters are confident that federal officials will handle a flu outbreak.
"In an era when voters don't seem to trust government on much of anything, New Jersey is fairly confident that both Trenton and Washington will do a good job on the swine flu situation," Carroll said.
Officials should close a school, if children are suspected of having swine flu, 49 percent of voters say, but 40 percent say closing schools would be too disruptive for working families trying to arrange child care.
"About half of all voters say, 'close the schools,' but a lot worry that closings would be disruptive," Carroll said.
From September 22 - 28, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,332 New Jersey voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and nationally as a public service and for research. For more data or RSS feed: http://ww.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, or call (203) 582-5201.
22. How worried are you that you or someone in your family will get swine flu - very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very worried 10% 5% 11% 10% 8% 13% Smwht worried 31 37 31 29 28 33 Not too worried 37 35 37 40 36 38 Not worried at all 21 22 20 21 27 16 DK/NA 1 - - - 1 - Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Very worried 16% 8% 11% 9% 11% Smwht worried 30 34 30 27 30 Not too worried 31 35 41 42 38 Not worried at all 21 24 17 20 21 DK/NA 2 - - 1 1 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Very worried 5% 11% 12% 17% 8% 7% 13% 6% Smwht worried 25 33 33 28 33 33 28 36 Not too worried 37 38 37 33 37 37 36 38 Not worried at all 32 18 17 21 22 23 22 19 DK/NA 1 - 1 1 - - 1 -
23. Will you get vaccinated for the swine flu?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 46% 47% 48% 41% 45% 46% No 48 44 46 53 51 45 DK/NA 7 8 6 6 4 9 Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Yes 51% 39% 43% 56% 47% No 43 52 54 36 49 DK/NA 7 9 3 8 4 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Yes 40% 43% 53% 48% 47% 42% 46% 45% No 52 53 40 46 48 52 49 46 DK/NA 9 4 7 6 5 6 5 9
24. Do you have any children under the age of 18?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 34% 37% 33% 32% 36% 32% No 66 63 67 68 64 68 DK/NA - - - - - - Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Yes 37% 32% 37% 33% 31% No 62 68 62 67 69 DK/NA - - 1 - - AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Yes 38% 59% 7% 22% 33% 51% 28% 43% No 62 41 93 78 67 49 72 57 DK/NA - - - - - - - -
25. (If yes q24) Will you have your children vaccinated for the swine flu?
YES Q24............................... Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Yes 55% 56% 56% 52% 56% 54% No 33 32 30 37 31 35 DK/NA 12 12 14 11 13 10
26. Do you think the media's reaction to the swine flu has been justified or overblown?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Justified 36% 31% 41% 36% 31% 40% Overblown 59 67 54 62 64 55 DK/NA 5 2 5 3 5 4 Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Justified 38% 34% 32% 43% 35% Overblown 54 62 62 53 63 DK/NA 8 4 6 4 3 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Justified 33% 35% 39% 38% 37% 34% 36% 36% Overblown 65 61 55 56 58 63 58 62 DK/NA 2 5 6 6 5 3 7 2
27. Do you think the government's reaction to the swine flu has been justified or overblown?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Justified 58% 56% 63% 58% 55% 61% Overblown 36 41 30 37 40 33 DK/NA 6 3 7 5 5 7 Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Justified 59% 56% 59% 62% 56% Overblown 32 39 35 30 40 DK/NA 9 5 6 7 4 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Justified 60% 58% 57% 57% 61% 61% 54% 64% Overblown 31 38 36 36 32 36 39 30 DK/NA 8 4 6 7 7 3 7 6
28. How confident are you that - state officials will be able to handle an outbreak of swine flu - very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not confident at all?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very confident 17% 10% 24% 13% 16% 17% Smwht confident 52 54 56 52 49 55 Not too confident 18 23 11 19 18 18 Not confident at all 11 12 8 12 16 7 DK/NA 3 - 1 4 2 3 Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Very confident 19% 20% 12% 13% 17% Smwht confident 50 50 56 56 52 Not too confident 17 16 21 17 18 Not confident at all 11 12 10 9 11 DK/NA 3 2 1 5 2 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Very confident 19% 18% 15% 17% 16% 17% 18% 15% Smwht confident 53 48 58 54 53 49 50 56 Not too confident 15 20 16 13 18 22 17 19 Not confident at all 12 12 8 13 9 11 12 10 DK/NA 1 2 3 2 4 2 4 1
29. How confident are you that - federal officials will be able to handle an outbreak of swine flu - very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not confident at all?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Very confident 18% 13% 28% 14% 18% 19% Smwht confident 50 52 52 50 47 53 Not too confident 18 20 12 23 21 16 Not confident at all 10 13 6 9 11 9 DK/NA 3 1 3 4 4 3 Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Very confident 17% 18% 15% 21% 22% Smwht confident 56 50 50 53 43 Not too confident 20 15 19 18 22 Not confident at all 3 11 15 7 10 DK/NA 5 5 2 - 4 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Very confident 24% 21% 14% 19% 20% 17% 19% 18% Smwht confident 50 48 53 50 51 51 48 55 Not too confident 12 20 20 18 19 19 19 16 Not confident at all 10 8 10 10 8 11 9 10 DK/NA 4 3 3 3 2 3 5 1
30. If children at a school are suspected of having swine flu, do you think the school should be closed to help stop the spread, or do you think closing schools is too disruptive because working families can't arrange child care?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Close schools 49% 46% 49% 49% 47% 51% Too disruptive 40 38 43 42 42 39 DK/NA 11 16 8 10 11 11 Philly Urban SbUrbn ExUrbn land Shore Close schools 45% 47% 50% 50% 54% Too disruptive 45 40 39 39 38 DK/NA 10 13 11 11 8 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. NoColl College 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Degree Degree Close schools 50% 48% 48% 50% 53% 42% 54% 41% Too disruptive 40 43 40 40 37 45 37 45 DK/NA 10 10 12 10 10 12 9 15